Bag holder



June 18, 1968 BURROUGHS ET AL 3,388,882

BAG HOLDER Filed April 27, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0 LNgEN'TORS wv weave/4s By Gene l1- Mum-s June 18, 1968 E, BURRQUGHS ET AL 3,388,882

BAG HOLDER Filed April 27. 1966 2 Shegts-Sheet Z I gNvEN'mRs [0am 6M5 BY GEN/E H Marc's United States Patent 3,388,882 BAG HOLDER Edwin E. Burroughs and Gene H. Wilkes, Pensacola, Fla., assignors to St. Regis Paper Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 27, 1966, Ser. No. 545,621 3 Claims. (Cl. 248-97) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bag holder having a supporting frame carrying a pair of jaws which include holding members and clamp members for grasping a portion of the mouth of the bag. The clamp members have inner Z-shaped portions which coact with one another to form a handle for opening and closing the jaws.

This invention has to do with bag holders and more particularly to bag holders having manually manipulative means for opening and closing the mouth of the bag. The device according to this invention is particularly adapted, among other possible uses, for use in mounting a refuse bag for receiving refuse such as kitchen garbage, for example.

Although a variety of different types and styles of supporting means for refuse containers or bags are presently available and have been described in the literature, they have not been entirely satisfactory for many reasons. One of the main problems of the prior art bag holders of the clamp type, and particularly when the bag was substantially full of refuse, was that the bags frequently tore in the corner area adjacent the clamp member. By our invention, we have eliminated the foregoing problem.

A feature of this invention resides in the provision of a new and improved bag support which has clamping means of improved gripping ability, and which resists tearing of the bag by the clamping means even when the bag mouth is subjected to repeated opening and closing operations.

The present invention provides, as another feature thereof, a new and improved bag holder with which the bag may be readily opened and closed for placing items such as refuse therein, and which is simple to operate particularly for non-mechanically inclined housewives.

Still another feature of this invention resides in the provision of a new and improved bag holder which supports the bag in an upright position without the necessity of attachment to a wall or the like, which is sanitary and can be completely closed for eliminating the escape of odors and preventing the entrance of insects that would ordinarily be attracted by the contents of such a bag, but which may be readily opened to place additional refuse therein.

As another feature of the invention, there is provided a bag holder assembly which is far superior to existing such assemblies, and which is durable, simple and economical to manufacture.

In order to achieve the foregoing objects, features and aspects, the invention contemplates the provision of an improved bag holder including a supporting frame, a pair of jaws mounted on the supporting frame and having means for holding the bag along opposite portions of the mouth thereof. The jaws are openable in order to expose the interior of the bag and closable for sealing the bag. Each of the means for holding the bag comprises a holder member, a pair of clamp members pivotally mounted at the outer opposite ends of the holder member for purposes of clamping a portion of the mouth of the bag. Each of the clamp members has a cut-out portion adjacent its pivotal mounting, each of the clamp 3,388,882 Patented June 18, 1968 members is provided with an inner Z-shaped portion. These Z-shaped portions coact to form a handle for opening and closing the jaws. In one form of the invention, we provide a pivotally attached locking member having a U-shaped transverse section for holding the adjacent Z-shaped portions of the clamp members in their closed positions.

There has thus been outlined rather broadly the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures for carrying out the several purposes of the invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

A specific embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description, and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bag and bag holder set-up in operative position the bag holder being constructed in accordance with the concept of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a refuse bag to be used in conjunction with the bag holder;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the holder and clamping members in their opened or released positions;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view showing in detail the cut-out portion of the clamping member and the corresponding cutout portion of the bag to be held by said clamping members, the bag being in position for attachment to the bag holder;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 4, but showing the step of folding the bag lip over the holder member for attaching the bag to the bag holder;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5, but showing the step of pivoting the clamping member into position for holding the bag against the holding member;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view similar to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, but showing the bag completely attached to the bag holder;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the holder member, clamping member and bag taken along the line as indicated at 88 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged plan view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the holder and clamping members in their closed or bag holding positions; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view showing the bag attached to the bag holder, the bag mouth being in its closed position.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, and with particular reference to FIG. 1, the bag holder comprises a supporting frame 10 having a lower base 12 and upstanding arms 14. A pair of jaws indicated generally at 16 are pivotally connected to the arms 14 as at 18 (FIGS. 1 and 10). As best seen in FIG. 2, a gusseted type bag or sack 20' is used for attachment to the bag holder. This bag has an upper mouth 22 having opposite lip portions 24 Which are used for clamping purposes to hold the bag vertically in the bag holder as shown in FIG. 1. The bag 20, FIG. 2, is provided with notch like cut-out portions 26 in the upper corners of the mouth for a purpose which will be described more fully hereinafter.

Referring next to FIG. 3, each of the jaws 16 is provided with means for gripping or holding the bag, said means comprising a holder member 28 and a pair of clamp members 39 pivotally mounted at the outer opposite ends of the holder member 28, as at 32. The clamping mem bers 30 are U-shaped in transverse section, as best seen in FlG. 8. Referring to FIG. 4, it is seen that these members are each provided with a cut-out portion 34 which is, in effect, the removal of a portion of one of the legs of the U-shaped member. These cutout portions serve a very important function as will be pointed out hereinafter.

In order to attach the bag 20 to the bag support, the bag is brought up and centered adjacent the holder member 28, FIG. 4. The lip 24 of the bag is folded over the holder 28 as shown in FIG. 5, being sure that it is held flush against the inside of the holder member 28 and the cut corner 26 in register with the cutout 34, as shown at 36. Thereafter the clamping members 30 are pivoted down into their clamping position as shown in FIG. 6 with the lip of the bag 20 being interposed between the holding member 28 and the clamping member 30. FIG. 7 shows the bag in its completely clamped condition. It will be appreciated that the clamping member 30 is of U-shape and completely sandwiches the bag 20 between it and the holding member 28 as is clearly seen in FIG. 8.

It will be appreciated that the cutout portions 34 strengthen the grip of the clamps on the bag in such a manner as to resist tearing of the bag at the clamps. That is, with the cutout portions the clamping members can tightly grip a flush surface of the bag lip without wrinkling or folding and without setting up longitudinal stresses in the bag material. Accordingly, the clamp can tightly grip the bag without initiating lines of stress, weakness or tearing thereof, particularly in the corner 35 (FIG. 2).

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 9, the clamping members 30 are provided with inner Z-shaped portions or clamp lifts 38, each of which acts as a handle for moving its clamping member into or out of its clamping position. It will be appreciated that adjacent Z-shaped portions coact to form a handle when the clamping members are in their clamping positions.

The jaws 16 are openable as seen in FIG. 1 and closable as seen in FIG. for opening and closing the mouth of the bag 20. That is, when the operator wants to put refuse in the bag he merely pivots the mouth of the bag open by simply opening the jaw 16 by the handles formed from the Z-shaped members 38, thereby exposing the interior of the bag. When the operator is finished and wishes to close the bag, the handles formed by the members 38 are merely brought together and the top of the bag is closely sealed, as shown in FIG. 10. A lock member 40 is pivotally mounted on one of the Z-shaped members 38, as at 41 in FIGS. 1, 3, 9 and 10. After the jaws 16 have been closed, the lock 40 is pivoted down over the Z-shaped members, thereby locking the bag in its closed position.

Thus it is seen that applicants have indeed provided a new and improved bag holder device which effectively meets with objects specified hereinbefore.

Although a certain particular embodiment of the invention is herein disclosed for purposes of explanation, further modifications thereof, after study of this specification, will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Reference accordingly should be had to the appended claims in determining the scope of the invention.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A bag support comprising a supporting frame, a pair of jaws mounted on said supporting frame and having means for holding a bag along opposite lip portions of the mouth thereof, said jaws being openable and closable for exposing the interior of said bag and for sealing said bag respectively, each of said means for holding a bag comprising a holder member, a pair of clamp members pivotally mounted at the opposite ends thereof on said holder member for clamping a portion of the mouth of said bag, and each of said clamp members having a cut-out portion adjacent its pivotal mounting, said jaws being substantially U-shaped, the clamp members having inner Z-shaped portions, and adjacent Z-shaped portions of said clamp members when in their clamping position coacting to form a handle for opening and closing said aws.

2. A bag support according to claim 1 further comprising a pivotally attached locking member having a substantially U-shaped transverse section for holding said adjacent Z-shaped portions of said clamping members in their closed positions.

3. A bag support comprising a supporting frame, a pair of U-shaped jaws mounted on said supporting frame and having means for holding a bag along opposite lip portions of the mouth thereof, said jaws being openable and closable for exposing the interior of said bag and for sealing said bag respectively, each of said means for holding a bag comprising a holder member, a pair of clamp members pivotally mounted at the opposite ends thereof on said holder member for clamping a portion of the mouth of said bag, said clamp members being substantially U-shaped in transverse section and having a portion of the inside leg removed forming a cut-out portion adjacent its pivotal mounting, said clamp members having inner Z-shaped portions, adjacent Z-shaped portions of said clamping members when in their clamping position coacting to form a handle for opening and closing said jaws, and a pivotally attached locking member having a substantially U-shaped transverse section for holding said adjacent Z-shaped portions of said clamping members in their closed positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,995,830 3/1935 Barnsby 24899 X 2,269,257 1/1942 Edwards 248-101 X 2,459,970 1/ 1949 Smith 248-101 3,162,414 12/1964 Maschek 248101 3,226,070 12/1965 Kurlander 248-97 ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner. 

